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Tunisian migrants and activists occupy Paris

Jason Francis Mc Gimsey

With a
series of important events over the last 5 days, the city of Paris has been
witness to the material transnationalisation of the radical democratic
movements that began this spring in Maghreb and the Middle East.

Thursday,
May 28th between 300-400 Tunisian exiles arrived in Paris, France. After
having travelled for over 45 days – from Tunisia to the small Italian
island of Lampadusa where they had been initially held by Italian authorities
and overcoming the French government’s attempt to block trains entering France
from Italy – this community of migrants made a makeshift camp at a small
park on the exterior of the French Capital.

Almost
immediately, the police welcomed these young migrants – predominantly young
males no older than 25 – with mass arrests, militarily invading the
Villette Park where they were staying and launching a citywide manhunt. Between
Friday the 29th and Saturday the 30th over 100 arrests
were made, including at least 4 minors.

However,
after several grassroots meetings, the Tunisian community made clear that they
did not want any (colonialist) charity from French organizations but rather a
stable and safe place where they could exercise their right to self-organize. They
vehemently insisted against any political manipulation of their situation by
the institutional left.

A last
minute decision to participate in the traditional demonstration for the 1st
of May was made in order to bring attention to their situation and to gather
the Parisian community of Tunisian together.

The
demonstration was a huge success. Hundreds of Tunisian migrants created the
most lively and politically decisive blocks of the otherwise traditional march.
The block was lead by a huge white banner that read “No Police Nor Charity: A
place to organize” signed by “The Tunisians from Lampedusa to Paris”. Carrying
ad hoc placards and signs that read “Ben Alì, Murabak, Sarkozy…” and “We’ve come
to help you do the same” the message was clear: the Maghreb wind of radical
democratic change has arrived in Europe.

Despite
continuing police repression and the attempts of the institutional left to
cooptate the burgeoning movement, on the night of May 1st well over
200 migrants and activists (now officially organized as the Collective of
Tunisians from Lampedusa) occupied a building in the 19th
arrondissement of Paris. Although the police arrived almost immediately at the
scene and attempted to enter the building and arrest the occupants, an
overnight sit-in outside and physical resistance inside has so far managed to
prevail over any eviction.

Currently,
the City of Paris is now trying conduct negotiations between the occupants and
the national government and police. Tonight an activist meeting has been called
to continue this new mobilization. But one thing in sure: this autonomous,
transnational and grassroots movement has no intention of giving up their right
to self-organize nor will they fall into the trap of political manipulation by
the institutional left.